Phonograph record vending machine

ABSTRACT

A vending dispenser for phonograph records wherein a plurality of spindles are supported in alignment along a common vertical axis for releasably storing a plurality of records each, the spindles being supported adjacent their uppermost ends by Vshaped brackets having a horizontal portion attached to a vertical wall and supporting the spindle, and an inclined portion also attached to the vertical wall and joining the horizontal portion at an apex spaced from another vertical wall paralleling the first vertical wall, whereby records released from any of the spindles are guided into the space between the apex and the other vertical wall by the inclined bracket portion and are then gravitationally discharged to the lower part of a record case for discharge externally therefrom.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Stanley l-l. Tollberg Attorney-Mason, Fenwick & Lawrence ABSTRACT: A vending dispenser for phonograph records wherein a plurality of spindles are supported in alignment along a common vertical axis for releasably storing a plurality of records each, the spindles being supported adjacent their uppermost ends by V-shaped brackets having a horizontal portion attached to a vertical wall and supporting the spindle, and an inclined portion also attached to the vertical wall and joining the horizontal portion at an apex spaced from another vertical wall paralleling the first vertical wall, whereby records released from any of the spindles are guided into the space between the apex and the other vertical wall by the inclined bracket portion and are then gravitationally discharged to the lower part of a record case for discharge externally therefrom.

I Patented May 11, 1971 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .TAaK CLMooae BY wuss-11 ATTORNEY$ Patcntgd 11, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1N VENTOR IAcK C. Mooze' BY wasmgm ATTORNEYS PHONOGRAPH RECORD VENDING MACHINE The present invention relates to vending dispenser devices for phonograph records, and more particularly to coinreleased and manually operated devices for 'storing plural groups of phonograph records, wherein each group comprises plural records of the same recording and the respective groups are of different recordings, and selectively dispensing one record at a time responsive to deposit of a proper coin. This invention is an improvement over my U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,805 entitled PHONOGRAPH RECORD VENDING DISPENSER, granted Sept. 3, I968.

A primary disadvantage of the modular type of vending machine, which I disclosed earlier, is that there are a plurality of access means needed and such access means take up a great deal of space and are poor in appearance from a design standpoint.

To correct this situation, I have invented a record dispensing device which has a plurality of vertically superimposed record stations that require only one access opening for each column of vertically stacked record storage stations.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved phonograph record vending dispenser capable of storing a number of groups or sets of plural phonograph records each operative responsive to deposit of a predetermined coinage to permit release of one record from any one of the groups chosen by the vendee to a common point of access.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a coin-operated phonograph record vending dispenser, having plural groups of records of different recordings, each group being made up of a plurality of records of the same recording, stored in vertically aligned relationship wherein manually operable members respectively associated with each group are released responsive to deposit of a coin to permit removal of one record from the dispenser.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel coin-operated phonograph record dispenser having a plurality of similarly constructed storage stations arranged in a vertically stacked fashion with each station having a plurality of phonograph records of the same recording in vertically aligned stacked relation thereon, each of said stations having actuating means, coin-operated means for releasing the actuating means for all stations to render one of the actuating means for any one of the stations selectively actuatable by a vendee to release the lowermost record of its respective supported stack and thereby enable the same to drop by gravity to a common access for all of said stations whereby the vendee can remove the released record from the machine and means responsive to actuation of any of the actuating means whereby all of the other actuating means are locked.

Other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from. the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a-front perspective view of a coin-operated phonograph record dispenser embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view thereof -illustrating a pair of the storage stations cooperating with each other to dispense a released record shown in phantom in different positions;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along a plane passing through the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along a plane passing through the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several FIGS., the phonograph record vending dispensing unit of the present invention is preferably primarily fabricated of sheet metal. The record storage stations are housed in an exterior sheet metal shell or case of vertically elongated, generally rectangular configuration having sides 11 and 12, a front wall 13 and a rear cover plate 14 which can be hinged,

(hinges not shown) to permit the shell or case 10 to be opened for service. The exterior shell or case also has top and bottom walls, 1 5, 16, completing enclosure of the internal mechanism, the top and bottom walls being, for example, reinforced top and bottom plates to insure structural rigidity of the shell 10. A suitable key lock 26 is provided on the sidewall 11 adjacent its'rear edge in order to lock the rear cover plate 14 when it is not necessary to facilitate access to the internal mechanism for supply of records or removal of coins, etc. It will be noted from looking at FIG. I, the vending machine is illustrated as having a pair of discharge openings 20, 20a for passage of records externally of the case at the bottom of the machine which receive the records after they have been released from the individual storage stations as will be explained hereafter.

In such an arrangement with two common access portions there are two columns of vertically aligned and superimposed storage stations to take advantage of all the space in a machine. However, for purposes of describing this invention, reference will merely be made to one access portion as well as one column of vertically stacked storage stations. Also, from viewing FIG. 1, it can be seen that there are a plurality of knobs or pull levers 19 which are disposed on a level with and proximate to the Title strips 18 of each record that is stored in the respective storage station which is controlled by a respective knob or pull lever 19.

From FIG. 2 it can be seen that each of the record storage stations includes a V-shaped bracket 22 which is preferably attached to the front wall 13 of the shell 10, and it supports and stores the records by means of a spindle 24 which is of the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,022. The spindle 24 is rotatably mounted and is attached to a crank 28 which is in turn removably associated with a connecting member 30 that is attached to a respective one of the pull levers or knobs 19. Also, a release means 24a is associated with the bottom of the spindle 24 so that when the spindle is rotated by means of actuation of a respective crank 28, connecting member 30, and pull lever 19, release means 24a allows one of the records to be released from the spindle 24 at the bottom thereof and thereafter locks in to prevent the other records from being dispensed. A collar 24b is associated with each storage station at the top of the pile of records. Each of the collars 24b has a spring 27 interposed therebetween so that the records are biased in a downward direction and upon the release means 240 allowing the lowermost record to be released, the said record is forced downward and falls downward to the access means as will now be explained.

It will be noted from the drawing that in the preferred embodiment hereof, the records are released and travel downward by sliding downward along the rear of the machine. It will, however, be appreciated that the path of the records is merely a random choice. The path of the records could be chosen as being along the front of the machine with the V- shaped brackets attached to and positioned in a vertically stacked or superimposed relationship on the rear of the machine so that the V-shaped brackets 22 could enable sliding downward along the front of the machine.

From the drawing in FIG. 2 it is seen that when a lowermost record is released from a spindle 24, it drops vertically into contact with an inclined portion 22a of a V-shaped bracket 22 which enables the record to slide downward still further until it comes into contact with the rear of the vending machine and bottom thereof whereupon it is guided to and permitted to become exposed at an access opening 20 or 20a. As in my device illustrated in my aforementioned U.S. Patent, a conventional lock bar 32 is associated with the shell to prevent the pull levers from being pulled when there is no coin deposited in a coin acceptor (not shown) associated with the box. The lock bar 32 is released for one forward and return reciprocation per cycle upon the correct coins being deposited in a coin acceptor. Concurrently, with such reciprocation as brought about by a selection, the remaining storage stations and spindles for supporting records are interlocked against dispensing movement.

again engages the sawtooth lever 36 until a coin enables actuation of the lever as before described.

To review the overall operation of the device disclosed herein, the records to be dispensed are loaded in the record storage stations by placing on the retaining means of a spindle a group of records of one recording. For example, such records are placed on the retaining means by slipping them onto the spindle and similarly placing an equal number of the same record on each of the spindles. While only two spindles are shown in FIG. 2 in the fragmentary view, it should be noted that such storage stations with two columns of vertically stacked storage stations can be utilized in a record dispenser of the type shown. Thus, there can be 10 different selections.

' When access to the machine is provided through the rear thereof, loading of the records is easily accomplished by swinging the.rear door thereof to its open position. When a vendee decides to obtain a record from the dispensing device, he places the appropriate coins in the coin slot 38 which then goes in turn to a conventional coin acceptor mechanism (not shown). If the proper coinage is deposited, the coin acceptor releases the lock bar 32 for a forward and return cycle. The vendee then pulls on the pull lever for the record which he desires to purchase. This actuates a respective spindle and lever whereupon one of the lowennost records from one of the record storage stations is released. The lowermost record thereupon contacts one of the inclined portions 22a of one of the V-shaped brackets 22 and slides downward to one of the access means. When the vendee releases the pull handle 19, it returns under the influence of spring 35 to its initial position where the pawl 34 retains it in the same position until the proper coinage releases the pawl and thereupon allows the pull lever to be actuated again.

Thus, while 1 have illustrated the record storage stations as being attached on a front wall of the machine with the rear of the machine being available as a drop chute for the records, it is entirely within the scope of this invention to reverse the procedure and attach the record compartment to the rear of the machine and provide a drop chute between the front wall and the V-shaped brackets. In addition, it is contemplated that the front wall of the device can be hinged instead of the rear wall so that access can be obtained from the front of the machine. Still further, selective electrical actuation of the release means is contemplated and can be utilized within the framework of this invention.

l claim:

1. A vending device for storing and dispensing plural annular phonograph records of each of a plurality of different recordings available for selection by a vendor after deposit of proper coinage, comprising a vertically elongated case having a pair of parallel vertical walls defining front and backwalls of the case; means defining a plurality of vertically spaced plural record storage stations in said case for storing the records in concentric relation to a common vertical axis including an axially elongated substantially cylindrical spindle at each of said stations, release means at the lower end portion of each of said spindles for retaining a stack of like records on the respective associated spindle and being selectively actuatable to release the lowermost record from the associated stack, a V-shaped bracket at each of said stations for supporting the respective spindles, said bracket having a shorter horizontal leg supporting a respective one of said spindles in depending relation therefrom and an inclined longer leg above said horizontal leg and joining the same at an apex, each of said legs being fixed to a first one of said vertical walls and said a ex being s aced horizontally toward said first vertical wall rom the ot er of said vertical walls to define a passage for gravitational discharge of records released from one of said spindles to a bottom zone of said case, said spindles being positioned to locate said apex of each of said brackets in substantial vertical alignment with the perimeters of the records to cause records released from the spindle immediately above any of said inclined legs to be guided thereby into said passage, and means defining an access opening in said case communicating with said bottom zone for withdrawal of record in the bottom zone from the case.

2. A record vending device as defined in claim 1, wherein first and other vertical walls are the front and rear walls respectively of said case and said case includes a bottom wall inclined downwardly from the rear vertical wall to the front vertical wall, said front vertical'wall having said access opening therein having one edge defined by said bottom wall.

3. A record vending device as defined in claim 1, including pull levers extending through a vertical wall of said case and respectively associated with each of said spindles, said release means for each spindle including rotatable means for actuating the release means, and means coupling said pull levers with the rotatable means of the respective release means for rotating the same to effect release of a record.

4. A record vending device as defined in claim 2, including pull levers extending through a vertical wall of said case and respectively associated with each of said spindles, said release means for each spindle including rotatable means for actuating the release means, and means coupling said pull levers with the rotatable means of the respective release means for rotating the same to effect release of a record. 

1. A vending device for storing and dispensing plural annular phonograph records of each of a plurality of different recordings available for selection by a vendor after deposit of proper coinage, comprising a vertically elongated case having a pair of parallel vertical walls defining front and backwalls of the case; means defining a plurality of vertically spaced plural record storage stations in said case for storing the records in concentric relation to a common vertical axis including an axially elongated substantially cylindrical spindle at each of said stations, release means at the lower end portion of each of said spindles for retaining a stack of like records on the respective associated spindle and being selectively actuatable to release the lowermost record from the associated stack, a Vshaped bracket at each of said stations for supporting the respective spindles, said bracket having a shorter horizontal leg supporting a respective one of said spindles in depending relation therefrom and an inclined longer leg above said horizontal leg and joining the same at an apex, each of said legs being fixed to a first one of said vertical walls and said apex being spaced horizontally toward said first vertical wall from the other of said vertical walls to define a passage for gravitational discharge of records released from one of said spindles to a bottom zone of said case, said spindles being positioned to locate said apex of each of said brackets in substantial vertical alignment with the perimeters of the records to cause records released from the spindle immediately above any of said inclined legs to be guided thereby into said passage, and means defining an access opening in said case communicating with said bottom zone for withdrawal of record in the bottom zone from the case.
 2. A record vending device as defined in claim 1, wherein first and other vertical walls are the front and rear walls respectively of said case and said case includes a bottom wall inclined downwardly from the rear vertical wall to the front vertical wall, said front vertical wall having said access opening therein having one edge defined by said bottom wall.
 3. A record vending device as defined in claim 1, including pull levers extending through a vertical wall of said case and respectively associated with each of said spindles, said release means for each spindle including rotatable means for actuating the release means, and means coupling said pull levers with the rotatable means of the respective release means for rotating the same to effect release of a record.
 4. A record vending device as defined in claim 2, including pull levers extending through a vertical wall of said case and respectively associated with each of said spindles, said release means for each spindle including rotatable means for actuating the release means, and means coupling said pull levers with the rotatable means of the respective release means for rotating the same to effect release of a record. 